1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic image forming device including a first fusing unit and a second fusing unit for fusing a toner image on a recording sheet with a gloss application sheet superposed on the toner image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming device of the related art, after a toner image is fused on a recording sheet (a transfer sheet) by common thermal fusing, the recording sheet and a gloss application sheet are further subjected to a second fusing for applying gloss on the recording sheet. For example, this technique is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-249724 (hereinafter referred to as “reference 1”), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 61-122666 (hereinafter referred to as “reference 2”), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2001-222171 (hereinafter referred to as “reference 3”), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4-31393 (hereinafter referred to as “reference 4”), and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-76201 (hereinafter referred to as “reference 5”).
In reference 1 and reference 2, it is disclosed that the gloss application sheet is superposed on the recording sheet while the recording sheet is projected with respect to the gloss application sheet.
Reference 3 discloses a technique for changing the gloss of the image.
In reference 4, it is disclosed that a sheet is placed on a toner image on an image carrier, and heat and pressure are applied to re-melt the toner image; after the re-melted toner image cools, the sheet is removed from the image carrier, thereby improving image quality.
Reference 5 discloses a technique enabling formation of laminated layers on the upper and lower sides of an image recording member.
The gloss application sheet is in contact with the toner image on the recording sheet to make the toner image smooth and apply high gloss on the toner image. In order that the toner image on the recording sheet be fused during the second fusing with the gloss application sheet superposed on the toner image, it is necessary for the toner image to take out the smoothness of the recording sheet.
In this case, since the gloss application sheet is used only for smoothing the surface of the toner image on the recording sheet, it is required to remove the gloss application sheet from the toner image and the recording sheet.
However, since the toner image is melted and solidified by the second fusing while the toner image is in contact with the gloss application sheet, the gloss application sheet is also in contact with the recording sheet, and it is not easy to separate the gloss application sheet from the recording sheet.
Especially, when the gloss application sheet overlaps the recording sheet perfectly without deviation, it is difficult to manipulate the gloss application sheet and the recording sheet independently, and it is more difficult to separate the gloss application sheet from the recording sheet.